Family Forever
by Dark-Shadow-Knight13
Summary: The guardians have been abused by their parents ever since their birth. When the Rusherz find out they do everything in their power to help them. It is discovered that due to being blasted with the Core's power, the Guardians are actually the children of the Rusherz. They face challenges as they finally understand what it means to have a loving family. Contains language and abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"It's over Sudden Death!" Ish yelled.

"You may have won this time Guardians, but next time you won't be so lucky." He shouted.

The Guardians watched as Sudden Death and The Anticorians retreated back to the rock they had crawled out of.

"Are you all right?" Ish asked as the Lions Rusher came up to them. He handed him the megacore.

The Rusher nodded and left to put the megacore back in the vault.

"Now that that's over what do you guys wanna do?" Asked Marty.

"Let's head to The Bulldog and play a couple games." Suggested Tua.

There were murmurs of agreement.

"Sorry guys I've gotta head home. My dad's girlfriend is coming over for dinner." Ash said gloomily.

"Later Ash." They said.

* * *

 **The Bulldog**

 **-2 hours later-**

"That's game guys." Troy said. "I'm broke."

"Same here." Ricky stated.

"Ditto." Tua said.

The four friends said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

* * *

 **8 o' clock- Ash's House**

"Dinner was wonderful Charles, thank you. It was nice seeing you again Ash." Linda said, giving the redhead a hug.

Ash just nodded and looked at her feet. The feeling in the pit of her stomach told her everything was not going to be okay once Linda drove away. She feared what her father had planned as punishment for 'disobeying' him.

The second Linda's car was out of sight Charles grabbed his daughter's arm and threw her against the wall. He towered over her, menacingly he snarled, "Didn't I tell you not to speak during dinner!" He backhanded her across the face. "Answer me you worthless piece of filth."

Ash held her stinging cheek, loud sobs beginning to escape her throat.

"Y-Yes s-sir."

He smacked her again and she screamed. He punched her and kicked her until she passed out.

* * *

 **9 o' clock- Troy's House**

Troy struggled for breath as he fell to his knees. His father's punch had knocked almost all the wind out of him. He gasped.

"Get up!" Mr. Kang ordered. When he didn't obey Troy felt himself pulled up by his shirt collar.

"Let go!" That earned him a hard smack.

"Shut your mouth. I told you to come straight home from school and you didn't!"

Troy coughed.

"It wasn't my fault. Sudden Death decided to attack-"

"I SAID SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

The last thing Troy saw was his father's fist heading towards his face.

* * *

 **10 o' clock- Marty's House**

Marty grunted as his father bashed his head into the wall.

"Just because you're a Guardian doesn't mean you're better than me."

Two teeth fell out.

"I-I n-never s-said-"

A lamp came crashing down on his head before he could finish.

* * *

 **11 o' clock- Tua's House**

Tua struggled to his feet. His uncle punched him again and he staggered back.

"You're worthless. You can't fight and you're dumber than a pile of bricks."

He punched his nephew's face and the only thing Tua could make out was a ring of stars in his peripheral vision.

* * *

 **12 o' clock- Ricky's House**

Ricky dodged his dad's oncoming fist.

"Hold still!" He shouted.

He dodged another and aimed a kick at his father's face. His dad caught it and gave it a sharp twist, earning a cry of pain from his son. He threw him into the wall and hit him in the head until he passed out.

* * *

 **1 o' clock- Ish's House**

Ish screamed as the whip came down on his bare back. He felt the blood pouring down his back in ungodly amounts. The whip came down again and again, each hit more painful than the last.

Finally when it seemed the torture would never stop, Ish Taylor lost consciousness.

* * *

 **6 weeks later**

"Guardians it's time for your physical." RZ announced.

They all gasped.

"RZ...could we maybe, um,... you know...skip the physical this time?" Ish asked. He could tell something was wrong with his fellow Guardians and even though his back still hurt from the whipping last night, he was more worried about them.

"I am afraid not Ish. The six of you missed the physical last week, so we must make up for lost time. Do not be concerned. Your parents gave their consent for you to have this done."

Ash bit her lip as several Rusherz came out with equipment.

"RZ, I don't-"

"Quit trying to get out of it, you guys need these physicals to make sure your body is doing well. You wanna keep playing football don't you?"

They all nodded.

"Then you need to have the physicals. Come on, no stalling."

Sighing in defeat they each walked to a cot where a Rusher was waiting.

* * *

"Remove your shirt please Ish." The Chargers Rusher said.

He hesitated.

The Rusher noticed this.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head and took off his shirt. Ish was glad they were hidden by a curtain. He didn't want his friends to see his back. The Rusher began the physical: checking his lungs and heart, his reflexes everything. All was well until-

"I need to check your back Ish."

His heart stopped.

"W-why?"

"To make sure there's no damage from any of Sudden Death's attacks."

He paled, leaping off the cot and wrapping himself up in the curtain. The Rusher just stared at him.

"Ish...what is it?"

The boy shook his head, like a stubborn little child who refused to share his favorite toy.

"Why don't you let me look at your back?"

He shook his head again, causing the Rusher to sigh.

"The physical is over then. I'll give RZ the reuslts."

Ish replaced his shirt and went to wait outside.

* * *

"Everything looks good Tua." The Bears Rusher said, causing a small smile to appear on the boy's face. "I just need to check your ribs."

"Do we have to?"

The Rusher nodded.

"The x-ray won't take long."

"You're going to...give me an x-ray?"

"Yup. Wait right here."

Tua's vision was back to normal, but he was pretty sure he had a couple broken ribs from his 'training session' with his uncle. If anyone found out he'd be in big trouble.

Taking a look around, Tua carefully got off the cot and headed for the exit.

* * *

"I'm fine!" Ricky screamed.

The Cardinals Rusher had asked him to try out his balance on his right foot. Ricky had refused saying he was fine and that this physical was just a waste of time. He had been asked again which had resulted in a screaming match between the two.

"If your fine then balancing on your foot shouldn't be a problem then should it?"

He bit his lip. Sighing he balanced on his foot for five seconds and looked at the Rusher.

"See? Fine."

The Rusher grunted and went to give his report to RZ.

* * *

"Ow."

"Hold still."

Marty squirmed as the Browns Rusher checked his mouth.

"What happened to your teeth?"

"They fell out while I was playing a game of football." Marty said quickly.

The Rusher nodded.

"Wait here. I'm gonna give my report to RZ."

Marty sighed as he waited for the Rusher's return.

* * *

Troy tapped his hand on the cot. He wanted to get home before his dad did.

"Impatient are we?" The Saints Rusher asked.

"A little."

The Rusher smiled as he checked Troy's lungs, not missing a wince whenever the boy took a breath.

"Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine."

Troy took another deep breath. "Ugh."

The Rusher stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

The Rusher shook his head.

"I'm ordering an x-ray."

* * *

Ash bit her lip as The Patriots Rusher examined her. She was glad that she was wearing her shirt. No one would be able to see the scars from her last 'punishment'.

The Rusher scribbled something down on the clipboard and turned his attention to his patient.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Nothing hurts? When you were here six weeks ago you complained about very bad headaches, a broken arm and a twisted ankle."

Ash gulped.

"I'm fine. Nothing hurts."

"Ok then. You can wait outside while the others finish up."

She sighed and walked outside.

* * *

45 minutes later

"Everything looked well except for Tua and Troy. Both your x-rays revealed several broken ribs." The Vikings Rusher looked at the two boys. "Care to explain how that happened?"

"Football practice." Said Tua.

"Skateboarding." Troy stated.

He raised an eyebrow at the responses as did their friends and all the Rushers.

"Okay then. You guys are good to go but you'll have to come back for a follow up next week."

They nodded and went on their way.

* * *

The gang sat at their usual table in The Bulldog and remained quiet. Everyone was a little uneasy.

"You didn't really break your ribs playing football, did you Tua?" Ish asked.

The large boy gasped then shook his head.

"I didn't."

Ish turned his attention to Troy.

"You didn't break your ribs skateboarding."

He gulped.

"I didn't." He admitted.

"What's going on guys?" Ash demanded.

Both boys bit their lips and shook their heads.

"You can tell us." She coaxed gently.

"I've gotta go." They both said as they got up and raced out of the building, leaving their friends staring at their empty seats in shock.

Marty finished his shake.

"Who wants to bowl?"

* * *

Ash lay in bed, unable to sleep she was staring at the ceiling. She listened for any sign that her father was waking and when she heard nothing released a small sigh of relief. The redhead tossed and turned and after an hour fell into an uneasy sleep.

She awoke to find herself lying on soft grass. Looking around Ash gasped as she saw the Rusherz occupied with a game of football.

 _Shouldn't they be protecting their Megacores?_ She wondered.

The Rushers hadn't noticed her yet and even when she walked up to them they didn't pay attention to her. They continued to play their game like she wasn't even there.

The Packers rusher tossed it to the Bears rusher and everyone cheered.

"Excuse me?" She said.

They didn't look at her, just went back to playing their game.

'What's going on? Can't they see me?' She wondered. Her question was soon answered when another Rusher tossed the football in her direction and it passed right through her. She gasped.

Taking a deep breath she ran up to them and tried to get their attention, only to be completely ignored. She attempted to grab a Rusher, but her hand went right through them.

As she struggled to remain calm a strange light erupted from a temple and struck the Rusherz, levitating them into the air. There was a brief flash of light and...

Ash opened her eyes to find herself in her room. No noise came from downstairs so she assumed her father had gone to work already. She winced as she rose from bed, getting dressed quickly the girl headed for The Bulldog to meet her friends.

* * *

"And Ricky Cervantes is the undefeated world bowling champion! The crowd goes wild." Marty shouted as Ricky finished bowling a perfect strike.

"You know there's no one here to announce to, right Marty?" Troy asked.

"I know." The energetic blond said.

Ash, Tua and Ish sipped their shakes in silence.

That silence was broken when their NFLR's went off.

"What is it RZ?"

"Guardians please report to the H.O.K. immediately."

"On our way."

* * *

HALL OF KNOWLEDGE

"Thanks for coming Guardians." The Vikings Rusher said.

"What's wrong?" Tua asked.

"The Minnesota Vikings have received a threat from Sudden Death." RZ explained.

He played the video which showed Sudden Death standing next to some strange equipment.

"If the Megacores are not given to me in 2 hours I will destroy the city of Minneapolis and if the Guardians try to interfere I will destroy them as well." The video ended.

"What's that equipment he was standing next to? It looked weird." Ash said.

"I am not sure, but whatever it is it can't be good. Guardians since we do not know the magnitude of the situation please transform now."

They nodded.

"ENTER THE RUSH ZONE!"

* * *

LAMBO FIELD

Ish yelled as the Blitzborg fired a shot at him from its cannon. The orange ray struck him and he fell to the ground.

"ISH!" Marty yelled.

Ish was groaning as his entire body was wracked with pain. He transformed out of his suit as his friends ran to his side. He clutched his head in pain.

"You'll pay for that! Ice Blast Power Pass!"

"Super Stomp!"

The combined attack froze all the Blitzborgs and shattered them into a million tiny pieces. The only ones left to deal with were the Anticorians and Sudden Death. Just as the four of them were being surrounded Stellaria quickly pressed a button on the laser-type equipment that was at the field. A round of shots struck each Guardian in turn and soon, they were all on the ground clutching their heads in pain.

"We may not have gotten the Megacore, but we did put you out of commission for a little while." Angkoro stated. "The six of you have just been struck with a MUCH more powerful strain of Anticorian virus than you faced last year." He took a breath. "Chance of death...95%. Farewell Guardians."

They disappeared, leaving six detransformed guardians lying in pain on the field. They would have been there forever if the Vikings hadn't come onto the field and immediately contacted their parents. They were taken to their homes and their punishments were worse than anything they had ever experienced.

* * *

NEXT DAY

HALL OF KNOWLEDGE

"Rusherz, I have been trying to contact the Guardians for several hours and have been unsuccessful."

"They didn't report in after the mission either. That's not like them." The Packers Rusher was heard.

"Indeed it is not. I would like several of you to go and check on them. Make sure they are doing well."

The Rusherz nodded in agreement. After everything the Guardians had done for the world, the NFL and them it was the least they could do to return the favor.

They grouped up in 3s and were off to check on their friends.

* * *

MARTY

The Browns, Eagles, and Chiefs Rusherz were trying to open the window as quietly as possible, after all no one except for his parents knew that Marty was a Guardian. They didn't want an encounter with someone that didn't know about Marty's activities. His identity was supposed to be a secret.

They were impressed as they stepped into the boy's room. He was truly a Cleveland Browns fan. Newspaper clippings lined every inch of wall in his room, a Browns desk with a Browns lamp was in the corner near his bed complete with Browns bedsheet and Browns blanket which at the moment, had a lump underneath it.

Marty.

The Browns Rusher gently shook the boy.

"Marty. Wake up." He said.

The lump began trembling at the contact. Grabbing a corner and carefully peeling back the blanket they gasped in horror at the sight.

Marty's hands and feet were bound with thick ropes behind his back, the right side of his face was bruised and he had a black eye. The bruises didn't stop there, walking to the other side of the bed they saw a ball gag and what looked like a thick white towel in his mouth. His left eye was a little better though not by much and dried blood covered his nose. His breathing was shallow, his skin deathly pale and when they looked at his back were shocked by the bruises.

"I'm contacting RZ." One of them said. "RZ you need to see this."

The Rusher showed him the now freed Marty. RZ gasped in disbelief.

"Bring him to the H.O.K. immediately. We can better tend to his injuries there."

"What about his parents? Shouldn't we let them know-"

"We will deal with them when the time comes. Right now Marty is our first priority."

All three nodded and quickly left after firmly securing the boy between them.

* * *

TUA

"Why would someone do this?" Asked the Bears Rusher.

"I don't know, but we need to get him to the H.O.K. and fix him up." The Jets Rusher said.

The 49ers Rusher just nodded in agreement.

The three Rushers found Tua unconscious in his room.

He was on his stomach and his arms and legs were tied to the bedframes. His back was covered in what appeared to be large purple bruises. They went all the way to his legs.

Curiously, the Bears Rusher gingerly pressed down on Tua's side, causing a gasp to escape his lips.

"I think he may have a broken rib or two, but we'll need an x-ray to be sure."

"Agreed. Let's get him out of here."

They freed him and lifted him off the bed as gently as they could. They struggled under the weight, but managed to get him through The Passage to the H.O.K where RZ was preparing the Medbay for Tua and the others.

* * *

RICKY

The Cardinals, Lions and Raiders Rusherz were shocked when they saw Ricky hanging from the ceiling. The eleven-year-old was chained to the ceiling. His hat was on the floor and part of his pants were torn. One eye was bruised and swollen shut while one of his ankles was sticking out at an abnormal angle. The boy's lips were split and from what they could see one of his arms appeared to have been burned.

The Raiders Rusher looked like he was about to puke any second.

The Cardinals Rusher flew up to the boy and attempted to wake him up.

"Ricky."

Nothing

"Ricky!"

The boy didn't even whine.

"He's unconscious. We need to get him to the H.O.K. NOW!"

As the Lions Rusher began lowering him down, the chain snapped and he came crashing down on the hard tile floor. The Cardinals Rusher managed to grab hold of his shoulders, but the change in movement had startled the boy awake just in time to scream when his injured ankle hit the floor with a loud thud.

"It's okay Ricky. You're safe now. Shh." The Cardinals Rusher calmed the boy as tears flowed down his face.

The Guardian continued screaming and crying as the Rusher held him to his chest. Just as the Raiders Rusher was about to contact RZ a loud voice came from downstairs, "Ricky?"

Three Rushers looked at each other.

Loud footsteps were coming up the stairs.

"We need to get Ricky out of here. Now!"

They opened The Passage and disappeared just as Ricky's father unlocked the door and entered the room.

* * *

TROY

He was pale and struggled to get air in his lungs. The Saints Rusher placed a hand on the boy's forehead. He was warm.

"He doesn't look well. We need to get him to the H.O.K."

"Agreed."

Troy had a broken nose and one wrist was bent awkwardly. The boy's stomach had several wounds and his chest looked as if someone had decided to take a knife to it. It was riddled with scars as was his back. One arm was tied behind his back and his legs had many bruises.

Dried blood covered his nose and mouth and one eye was extremely dark.

The Saints Rusher began to carefully cut the ropes; after that was done the Titans Rusher helped get the child into a sitting position so he would be easier to maneuver around. He gave a small moan of pain. The Titans Rusher soothed him.

"Everything's gonna be fine Troy. We're gonna get ya out of here."

Together with the Falcons Rusher they hoisted the injured youth between them and soon disappeared into The Passage on the way to the H.O.K.

* * *

ISH

"Ish! Hey Ish!" The Chargers Rusher yelled. "Wake up."

The boy didn't even blink. He was covered in what seemed to be whiplashes from head to toe and he appeared to be running a fever. His neck had marks on it as if someone had attempted to strangle him in his sleep. They didn't like it.

"We need to get him to the H.O.K. now!"

The child moaned as he was gingerly moved from the bed. He whimpered as the Chargers and Packers Rusherz moved him to the middle of the room.

"Stay with us Ish." The Chargers Rusher said.

The boy mumbled something unintelligible under his breath and they looked at each other. The Seahawks Rusher opened the Passage and their young friend was gasping for breath as he was taken from his room to the H.O.K for treatment.

They hoped he would be all right.

* * *

ASH

The Patriots Rusher untied Ash from the chair she sat on. The redhead fell to the floor, completely unconscious. Her hands were untied from behind her back and her face was bruised. When she opened her mouth and uttered a little moan a tooth was missing.

"Poor kid." The Patriots Rusher was heard.

The Ravens Rusher felt her forehead and noticed it was slightly warm. He frowned.

"What's wrong?" Asked the Dolphins Rusher.

"She feels warm. I think she has a fever."

They scooped her up and she groaned in pain.

The Patriots Rusher felt her head as well.

"Something's definitely wrong with her."

"Let's get her to the Hall of Knowledge."

The three Rusherz nodded and went to the H.O.K. with their redheaded friend in tow.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **HALL OF KNOWLEDGE- 1 HOUR LATER**

The Rusherz stared at the papers littering the table. An hour had passed and the only thing they had discovered was that the kids had been exposed to a type of virus which explained the fevers, coughs and other assorted symptoms the six were showing. It didn't explain the other injuries on their bodies.

"What do you think happened that caused their injuries?"

"While I am not certain as to the cause of their injuries my tests have revealed that the virus they were exposed to is Anticorian."

The Rusherz gasped.

"Anticorian? How is that possible?" Asked the Chiefs Rusher who had placed a cool cloth on Ish's head to help his fever.

"It is possible they were exposed to it in their last battle. That would explain why they did not return after the mission." RZ explained.

The Bengals Rusher looked at the six sickly heroes.

They had each been given a cot and were currently asleep.

"We need to-" The Lions Rusher began, but was interrupted by a sound alerting them to a message.

"Hello Guardians." It was Sudden Death. "I hope you're enjoying the little present the Anticorians gave you."

"What do you want Sudden Death?" RZ demanded.

He laughed.

"I want the megacores. Give them to me and in return I will give you the antidote."

"We'll never give you the Megacores Sudden Death." The Chargers Rusher said.

"Then you can say goodbye to the Guardians. I presume they have about three hours left." He paused. "And that is exactly how long you have to surrender the megacores."

He logged off.

The Rusherz were stunned by what they had just learned.

"What do we do?"

"We cannot surrender the Megacores, but neither can we allow the guardians to perish."

"I say we attack his lair and get the antidote." The Bills Rusher was heard.

There were murmurs of agreement from several of them.

RZ sighed. It seemed they had little choice.

* * *

 **-2 1/2 hours later-**

"Are you sure you're okay there?" The Steelers Rusher asked the Texans Rusher.

He nodded.

"I'm fine. That Stellaria sure has a good throwing arm. My horns are gonna be sore for weeks."

The Buccaneers Rusher snickered at this but was quickly silenced with a look from the horned Rusher.

"We're back RZ and we've got the antidote."

The hologram of the former scientist looked up from where he was working.

"Excellent news."

The Rusher handed him the vial and turned to the children. They looked horrible, like zombies.

He grabbed a syringe and began to administer the antidote. All they could do now was wait.

* * *

 **-1 Hour later-**

Ash stared as the Rusherz were levitated into the air, still in the groupings they were in before. "What's happening?"

The light vanished as quickly as it had appeared and they were safely on the ground again. The bewildered Rusherz looked at each other then one of them noticed a bundle in the middle of their group. The Rusher cautiously picked up the small bundle and a smile began to form on his face.

"What is it?" one of them asked.

"It's a baby." The Patriots Rusher said as he held it in his arms.

The baby cooed and gurgled as it was being held.

"I have one to." The Chargers Rusher said.

"Me to." said the Browns Rusher.

"Me three." said the Saints Rusher.

"Me four." said the Cardinals Rusher.

"I got a furball to." said the Bears Rusher.

The six babies were happily cooing and giggling as they were held. The Bears Rusher laughed as the child squeezed his nose.

"They're kinda cute."

"I agree, but what do we do with them?"

None of them knew. They had never had to take care of a baby before. They spent all their time playing football and guarding the Core.

"Well we should probably name them first." said the Packers Rusher.

Murmurs of agreement.

The Patriots Rusher stared at the child in his arms.

"Mine is a girl."

"Boy."

"Boy."

"Boy."

"Boy."

"Boy."

They sighed.

Ash looked on in amazement. Why does this seem so...familiar?

"I'm going to name her...Ash." The Patriots Rusher declared.

The baby gurgled her delight at her new name.

'Ash? That...that's my name.'

Just as she was beginning to wonder whether she was losing her mind her thoughts were shaken when a loud voice rang out, "Give me the Core Rusherz!"

The Rusherz turned to see Sudden Death standing before them. He was wrapped in a grey cloak.

 _This must be when Sudden Death tried to steal the core._ Ash thought, remembering what Belin had told them when they had raced to Anticorria to help the prince reclaim his planet from his tyrannical uncle.

Sudden Death made his move and attacked, not caring that there were several vulnerable bodies amongst the Rusherz.

They dodged and took a fighting stance. They were not going to give Sudden Death the Core no matter what.

"We can't fight with these babies here." One of the Rusherz hissed.

"He's right. We need to get them into the temple. They'll be safer there." The Colts Rusher said.

While the other Rusherz created a distraction the Patriots, Saints, Chargers, Browns, Cardinals, and Bears Rusherz ran into the temple with the babies. They were frightened by the loud sounds emanating outside and their current protectors were doing their best to calm them.

"Shh. It's okay." One of them said.

There was a loud rumble as the temple shook from the battle outside. This caused them to wail even louder.

The other Rusherz were holding their own against Sudden Deaths forces. They wouldn't give up. All seemed well until Sudden Death's forces broke through and entered the temple.

"You know what we have to do." The Packers Rusher said.

All nodded. In order to prevent Sudden Death from obtaining what he seeked they would have to sacrifice their planet. They would have to remove the Core which would mean the destruction of their planet.

"Goodbye home."

The Core was extracted and while the other Rusherz had escaped the 32 that had stayed and battled Sudden Death's forces were about to make the ultimate sacrifice.

As the planet exploded in a shower of rubble the 32 Rusherz and 6 babies escaped through an interdimensional portal to a planet called Earth.

"Everyone okay?"

There were mumbled replies.

The Rusherz just moaned as they looked around them. Something wasn't right.

"Where are the kids?"

"ASH!"

* * *

The red-head opened her eyes and gasped. She moaned as she looked around, relieved to find she was in the H.O.K. A Rusher was at her side in an instant.

"Are you okay Ash?" The Patriots Rusher asked.

"Little sore, but...okay." She whispered.

"Think you can drink some water?"

She nodded.

He handed her a glass and she slowly drank, handing it back when she was done. Ash laid back down and sighed, wincing at the pain.

"What happened to you?"

The girl shrugged. _If you tell anyone...I'll kill you._ Her father's words rang clear in her thoughts.

"Ash we're friends. You can tell me if something or someone is hurting you."

She shook her head defiantly which caused the Rusher to sigh in frustration.

He decided to try a different approach.

"RZ sent us to check on you guys when you didn't report in from your last mission. We found you tied to a chair with bruises on your face and a missing tooth. I know you didn't do that to yourself. Who hurt you?"

Again she refused to divulge any information.

"I'm going to talk with the others, I want you to get some rest."

"I can't rest. I have to get back home before my dad comes back, if he comes back and discovers I'm not home he'll-"

"What will he do Ash?"

The girl bit her lip.

"N-nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Ash-"

"I SAID FORGET IT!"

She was on the verge of tears.

The Jets, Bengals and Raiders Rusherz appeared at their friend's side in an instant.

"What's the matter Ash?"

The Bengals Rusher jumped onto the bed and curled up against the girl snuggling into her side gently. Ash giggled.

"That tickles."

The Rusher just smiled and jumped off the bed.

"Now will you get some rest?" The Patriots Rusher asked with a stern look.

"I-"

"RZ will talk to your father if that's what you're worried about." The Raiders Rusher said in a gentle voice.

The girl was still reluctant to fall asleep.

The Jets Rusher pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a stuffed rabbit. The girl's eyes lit up in surprise and joy.

"Mr. Muffin!"

She reached for the toy and smiled as it was handed to her. She cradled it against her chest.

"We found it on your bed and thought you might want it."

"My mother gave it to me when I was 5, it's my most treasured possession."

"Will you get some sleep now? You look exhausted."

She just sighed and nodded. She lay down on the cot with the bunny in the crook of her arm. The Rusherz tucked her in and went to talk to RZ, with the Bengals Rusher staying behind in case she woke up.

* * *

"I know someone is hurting you Ricky. Let me help you." The Cardinals Rusher pleaded.

The boy had woken up a little while ago, but was refusing to talk. His ankle was broken and in a splint and his arm was bandaged.

"I'm fine. I need to get home."

"You were chained to the ceiling!"

Ricky winced at the Rusher's loud voice.

He looked at the boy. He could see the fear in his eyes, but fear of what? RZ? His father? The Rusherz themselves? What had the boy so frightened?

Forcing him to talk wouldn't do any good.

"I'll be back in a little while, try to get some rest alright?"

"I can't sleep."

The Rusher thought a moment.

"How does a cup of warm milk sound?"

The boy nodded.

The Rusher left and returned moments later with a cup of warm milk. He handed it to the boy. Ricky drifted off to sleep moments after finishing the drink.

* * *

 **15 minutes later**

All the Rusherz were gathered together at the table discussing what should be done about the guardians' situations. Even though it was obvious someone was hurting them nobody was sharing anything. They didn't know what to do.

"Why won't they just tell us who is doing this to them? I don't understand it." The Titans Rusher commented. He had been the first at Troy's side when he woke up, and had to threaten him with sleeping medication just to get him to rest.

"I don't understand it either." Said the Bears Rusher.

Getting Tua to rest had been easy. Getting him to stay quiet while he was asleep, had been the problem.

They remained in silence with their thoughts until RZ cleared his throat and gained their attention.

"I believe I may have a possible solution to our problem."

"What is it RZ?" The Saints Rusher asked.

The scientist held a device in his hands. A device that looked strangely like...

"Isn't that the device that Wild Card used on the Guardians to go inside their dreams and give them nightmares?" Asked the Cowboys Rusher.

"Indeed it is." The scientist answered.

All were curious about the device. Where did the scientist get it?

"I replicated it. I had a feeling it might give us an edge in the battle against Sudden Death, the only problem is the effects last five minutes at maximum and I will only be able to send one person into each dream."

Everyone looked at each other.

They knew what they had to do.

* * *

The Patriots Rusher couldn't help but smile as he saw a memory of Ash and her parents on a picnic. The girl seemed happy. What could have changed her?

He shook his head and continued down the long hallway that was his friend's memories. He saw birthdays, holidays, school plays; he saw her playing football at the age of six dressed in his team's colors. He approached another door and opened it, a rush of sadness enveloped him when he saw her at her mother's funeral.

Another memory which seemed to occur sometime after the previous one made him gasp. Ash was being beaten by her father. He was tying her up and punching and kicking her. He stomped on her back and twisted her ankle. The rusher was taken back to all the times the girl had been limping or slow, he should have done something about it sooner.

He saw a dark-haired woman leave the house then her father beat the girl. This must have happened recently.

The man finally stopped and left her there in a heap on the floor. A few minutes later he returned and tied Ash to the chair. He left shortly after.

 _Oh Ash._

The Rusher gasped when suddenly light surrounded him and he felt himself being pulled out.


End file.
